Chelsea have Dutch midfielder Marco van Ginkel back healthy again, but he won't be a part of Antonio Conte's squad this season, according to the club's Under 23 coach Adi Viveash.
The 23-year-old spent last season on loan with PSV Eindhoven, but struggled with knee issues in the summer, and an injection in the joint prevented him from leaving again.
He returned to action on Tuesday, playing the full 90 minutes ofthe Checkatrade trophy victory over Oxford United which proved historical, as it was decided by a penalty shootout which was the longest-ever in English football with 34 penalty attempts.
Viveash has confirmed that Van Ginkel will continue his rehabilitation in the youth ranks, and will go out on loan in January, with the hopes of joining the first team next season.
"Marco had an injection in the knee," Viveash said to reportersat Stamford Bridge, viaGoal.
"He trained in pre-season with the loan players and he has been with us for a couple of weeks now and he is a bit further ahead.
"He just needs match fitness as he hasn't had an injury, obviously for Marco, he will be getting ready for January and then I imagine he will be looking to play senior football as he has done previously.
"He will be looking [for a loan move] and that is what he did. He would be out on loan now, if he hadn't have had to have the injection. Now we are just helping him build up his fitness levels and his match minutes and he will certainly benefit from that game and be ready for January."
Kurt Zouma also played the full match withViveash revealing that the French defender would return to the senior side after the international break.
"Marco has a different programme to Kurt. Kurt is a major part of the first team and Marco has had loans and trained in the first team before, but certainly since he has come back with us he has been trying to get his match minutes up before he goes out, I imagine, in January."